[quote=harvey][quote=deadzone]Like all nations, we have immigration laws. If you are of the opinion that we should not have such laws, or that the laws should not be enforced, you are basically in favor of open borders.
But being in favor of open borders is extremist and not realistic. Can you name a single developed country with open borders in terms of immigration policy?[/quote]
Nobody is saying that immigration laws should not be enforced. Your claim about completely open borders is a strawman.
I am saying that immigration laws should be changed to reflect reality. There is clearly a market for manual labor in the US and there is clearly an underground economy structured around it. Why not make it legitimate for all parties?[/quote]
The reason for the “shortage” of legal manual labor is the compensation for this type of work. If you believe in the free market, then you would agree that prices should rise until more labor is attracted to that sector.
Illegal immigration is the same thing as offshoring jobs to China. It’s a way for employers to exploit the cheapest, most desperate workers in the world. Corporations benefit, and workers in developed countries lose.
If we had a true demand for this labor, I’d be all for it, but we have surplus labor in this country, not a shortage.
